What did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a marine biologist. Our first family trip to Sea World won me over. (Side note: I did eventually learn the realities of Sea World and do not promote supporting organizations like them. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, watch the documentary Blackfish). I announced to my parents, “This is going to be my career!” and I stuck with it until I graduated from university. Even though I realized early on that I probably wouldn’t make a career out of marine biology, I still finished the schooling for it. Some might say that was dedication but in hindsight, it was just easier than having to refocus my career path.

Because life consists of a series of decisions and each decision is like a door to new opportunities, I somehow went from marine biology, to theology, to film and TV, and finally, Rope Access. How this trajectory came to be is still somewhat of a mystery to me, but with total honesty, I guess the door that led me to Rope Access was love (cue cheesy music and eyeball rolls).

I met Tim, a Rope Access Technician who worked for himself in 2007. When he told me what he did, I thought it was cool. ‘Maybe I could even make a documentary out of this guy’s job!’ I thought. As we began dating and eventually made the happy decision to get married, I became more involved with his business on the administrative side. Tim had very little time dedicated to paperwork, filing, banking, etc. He was too busy making things happen! He had big ideas, plans, passion, and dreams! And I was happy to hop on for the ride. As business grew, my commitment was tested. Tim was all in, but was I? I was trying to pull the reigns back a bit. What if we fail? What if we can’t pull off this dream? Tim’s goal was way out of our comfort zone.

Before and After Photos of our Training Center

 It was around this time that I had to make a big decision. Continue on with my projected career path in film and TV, or help Tim realize his dreams? I picked Tim. But it wasn’t because I was unselfish and put his dreams before mine. Again in hindsight, I think I wanted an excuse to bow out of an “overly ambitious” industry (everyone wants to be a director or actor right??). The doubtful “What if I’m not successful?” voice kept creeping up when I thought about staying in film and TV, and helping Tim full time was the easy option. Little did I know, however, that what I ended choosing was a far more challenging career path.

Entrepreneurship (Pacific Ropes), in a very niche industry (Rope Access), is by far the hardest and most stressful venture I’ve ever embarked upon (more so than giving birth)! There is a constant level of anxiety I live with everyday. The same voice keeps popping up, “what if we’re not successful?” The temptation to quit and get a “normal” job exists in my mind almost all the time. But there is something equally as strong encouraging me to keep going forward. And I think it’s because a bit of Tim’s ambition continues to inspire and drive me. He’s a driver, an innovator, and a fierce problem solver. He uses his fear to accomplish great things. He doesn’t let fear hold him back but instead understands that in order to do great things, sometimes, you have to walk on the edge. Take that walk on the wild side. And that’s what I admire so much about him.

We operate Pacific Ropes with a lot of innovation mixed with a healthy dose of thoughtfulness. We will go for those big ideas but we need to make sure we have the strategy and materials to make them happen (driving the practical realm is my specialty at Pacific Ropes)! Running this business is the most difficult challenge of my life, yet ironically, it continues to be the most rewarding. Maybe the safe option isn’t the best option…

Rope Techs have the best "office" views

When we educate people about Rope Access, there are those few individuals who will jump on the bandwagon right away- the innovators, the forward thinkers, the ones with great imaginations for change. Many people are cautious and fear the risk that comes with change. However, as a cautious person myself, I understand where they are coming from. If you don’t perceive your business as in need of changing, why should you? But, what if this Rope Access option can make business better? Isn’t that concept alone worth exploring?

In the end, it doesn’t matter what we end up being when we grow up, but we are always defined by our choices. One of those choices being whether we like to take the safe route or the road less travelled. As a new mom, having a child makes you think twice about your decisions. What example or legacy do I want to leave? I guess the question we can ask ourselves is not what we want to be when we grow up but who do we want to be? How, even, do we want to be remembered? 

This is an adventure for us here at PacRopes and we are always looking for more people to join us on our ride! So, give us a shout! You’ll never know what you could be missing until you try!